With age comes wisdom. But you know what else can come with age? Weight gain. Losing weight can also be harder as you grow older.
With age comes wisdom. But you know what else can come with age? Weight gain.
Losing weight can also be harder as you grow older. This is especially true for women, as hormone changes during menopause can do a number on your metabolism.
Luckily, there are steps you can take to lose weight in your 50s and beyond. They include a mix of nutrition, movement, sleep hygiene, and more.
This guide covers everything you need to know about weight loss after 50.
If it feels like you’ve been gaining weight ever since you turned 50, you’re not alone. Weight gain is common in this season of life, and it’s caused by a few different factors.
Here’s what you’re up against.
The average age of menopause for women in the U.S. is 52. So if you’re in your 50s, there’s a good chance you’re either going through menopause or are out the other side of it. Either way, you might have gained some weight along the way.
This is mainly caused by hormone changes. As your body stops producing estrogen, you may experience an increase in hunger, which can lead to overeating.
Falling estrogen levels can also change your total and resting energy expenditure — how many calories your body uses overall and at rest. If you consume more calories than your body needs, you can gain weight.
Hormones can also cause a shift in body fat from the butt and thighs to the stomach, meaning an increase in belly fat.
Our guide to menopause weight gain shares more details.
As you age, you naturally lose muscle mass. This is known as sarcopenia. Losing muscle lowers your resting energy expenditure and metabolism because muscle uses more calories than fat.
If you eat the same amount of calories as you did before losing muscle, you could be consuming more calories than your body needs, possibly leading to weight gain.
You might be doing less structured workouts and moving less in general in your 50s compared to younger years. This might be down to having less energy or developing age-related issues like arthritis.
Doing less movement means you’re burning fewer calories and potentially losing muscle.
Menopause symptoms like night sweats or age-related issues — like back pain or sleep apnea — might be disrupting your sleep.
Not getting enough sleep can increase your appetite and decrease any motivation to work out and eat well.
Stress can affect you at any age, but you might be feeling it more in your 50s.
You could be dealing with troubling menopause symptoms, caring for elderly parents, hitting highs in your career, or adjusting to an empty nest as your kids leave home. Or all of these things at once — yikes.
All this stress can increase your appetite and food cravings, cause sleep loss, and trigger emotional eating, adding up to weight gain over time.
BTW, you might have noticed some of these changes before the big 5-0. Losing weight after 40 can be difficult, too.
But it’s absolutely possible.
“I am 58 years old, almost 59, and I have struggled with my weight since probably my mid-forties. First, there was medication I took where I gained about 20 pounds and never lost it. Then there was perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause and all the struggle that came with it.
“I’d basically given up because every time I tried to lose weight, I might lose five pounds, but it took so long that I just couldn’t do it. My doctor had prescribed Ozempic, [but] my insurance doesn’t cover it. So when I found Hers … and it was at a price I could afford, I was really excited.
“To date, I have lost 27 pounds and 14 centimeters … I have a goal of losing another 50 pounds, but for the first time, I actually really think I can do this! The weight loss has been slow and steady, about a pound a week. So thank you … Thank you for all the hope you’ve given women like me!” — Carol, 58
The key principles of weight loss after 50 are the same as weight loss at any age. But your 50s might come with a few curveballs that earlier decades didn’t throw at you.
Before starting your weight loss journey, take stock of your situation.
Maybe you recently had a hysterectomy, have been diagnosed with high blood pressure (hypertension), or are struggling with depression. Or perhaps you’re taking a medication that can cause weight gain as a side effect (looking at you, antidepressants).
Maybe your time is stretched between a demanding job and busy home life, with menopause hot flashes piled on top for good measure.
Whatever your situation is, cut yourself some slack as you begin making changes. Set realistic weight loss goals and adjust as needed.
Don’t be afraid to reach out to a healthcare professional for personalized advice on the best — and safest — ways to lose weight. Your provider can also tell you if there are any adjustments you need to make to accommodate health issues or conditions.
Losing weight after 50 can be tricky, but you can make it happen. Here are a few lifestyle changes to kickstart your journey.
Nutrition is a key part of weight loss. While you don’t need to count calories, you should be in a calorie deficit to lose weight — that is, be consuming fewer calories than your body needs each day.
Rather than restricting yourself, you can do this by prioritizing whole foods, such as:
Fruits and veggies
Whole grains, like brown rice, quinoa, and oats
Healthy fats, such as avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil
Lean proteins, like chicken, fish, lean beef, and tofu
We’ve got a weight loss diet plan if you need meal ideas or inspiration for healthy eating.
Special shout-out to protein. Upping your protein intake can help with weight loss in a few ways. It can:
Suppress your appetite
Curb cravings for unhealthy foods
Help you hold onto muscle (which can be lost while losing body fat)
Help you build muscle (which increases metabolism, promoting weight loss)
Prevent weight regain after weight loss
This is true in your 50s, too. Research shows even small increases in protein can help prevent menopause weight gain and loss of muscle mass.
General guidelines state women should get 46 grams of protein a day, but this is the minimum amount to avoid muscle loss. For weight loss benefits, aim for about 100 grams a day. Our protein calculator can give you a custom recommendation.
Exercise, exercise, exercise. You’ve heard it all before, but it’s another critical component of weight loss.
As you move through your 50s, it’s easy to become more sedentary (spending most days sitting with very little physical activity). Counter this by making movement a part of your daily routine.
In particular, don’t neglect strength training. This can help you hold onto the muscle you have and build more of it. Aim for at least two strength training sessions a week. That can include:
Bodyweight exercises (think squats, lunges, and pushups)
Using resistance bands, dumbbells, or kettlebells
Using resistance machines in the gym
Weightlifting
Our guide to strength training for beginners has advice if you’re new to this.
Alongside strength training, don’t forget cardio. Aim for at least 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic exercise each week. Going beyond these numbers is useful for weight loss, but you can build up to them slowly if that feels out of reach right now.
Remember, the amount of movement that could have helped with weight management when you were younger might not be enough anymore. Try finding types of physical activity you enjoy and fitting more into your week. Even walking more can help you stay active.
If the recommended seven to nine hours of sleep feels like a distant dream, try improving your sleep hygiene — that’s the behaviors that can impact your sleep.
To get better sleep, try:
Keeping a regular sleep schedule
Limiting screens before bed
Avoiding caffeine in the afternoon and evening
Keeping your bedroom cool (especially if night sweats are keeping you up)
Our guide to how to sleep better shares more tips.
It’s also important to address any issues that crop up that could affect your sleep.
For example, if you notice signs of sleep apnea (say, if your partner hears you gasping in your sleep), reach out to a healthcare provider. If hip pain makes side sleeping uncomfortable, grab a thin pillow to place between your knees or shift sleep positions.
Dealing with these problems sooner rather than later can minimize how much your sleep (and, therefore, weight) is affected.
Sometimes, aging, hormones, and health conditions make it virtually impossible to lose weight in your 50s (or any age, really). This is when weight loss medication can help people with excess weight or obesity.
These medications work in different ways, but many can reduce appetite, make you feel fuller, and curb cravings. Some also work to control blood sugar and manage diabetes. You can get oral or injectable weight loss drugs.
A few options include:
Semaglutide. This includes the drugs Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Rybelsus®, and compounded semaglutide. You can get a weekly injection or daily pill.
Tirzepatide. This includes Mounjaro®, Zepbound®, and compounded tirzepatide. It comes in the form of a weekly injection.
Metformin. You might know this as a type 2 diabetes drug, but metformin is sometimes prescribed off-label for weight loss. It’s a daily pill.
Topiramate. Sold under the brand name Topamax®, topiramate is a daily pill that’s also sometimes prescribed off-label for weight loss.
A healthcare provider can take into account your health and goals and determine if you’re a good candidate for medical weight loss — and which treatment would suit you best.
Hormone-replacement therapy (HRT) — sometimes called menopause hormone therapy (MHT) — involves taking hormones your body makes less of during menopause, like estrogen and progesterone.
HRT may improve some menopause symptoms, like hot flashes or sleep problems, that can make weight loss harder in your 50s. And research shows it may reduce how much body fat you gain and prevent the shift toward belly fat during this time.
Our blog has pointers for how to reset female hormones for weight loss.
We’ve covered the fundamentals. Now it’s time to discuss smaller tweaks you can make to lose weight after 50 and improve your overall wellness.
Drinking water for weight loss sounds like a myth, but it can help.
Water helps control your appetite and makes you feel fuller, especially if you drink a glass before meals. Drinking more H2O can also help you cut down on sugary beverages that might be sabotaging weight loss.
If you struggle to drink enough, try:
Setting reminders on your phone or leaving a sticky note on the bathroom mirror
Getting a reusable water bottle and bringing it with you everywhere
Making it a habit to drink a glass of water first thing and with meals
We’ve shared more tips on how to drink more water in our blog.
Whether you’re finding your 50s more stressful than the last few decades combined or you’ve always had high stress, taking steps to manage it can help with weight loss.
Stress-management techniques include:
Meditation or mindfulness exercises
Journaling
Spending time in nature
Regular exercise
Doing a hobby you enjoy
Reach out for mental health support if you need it from friends and family. Or consider speaking to a therapist to offload your worries and learn new ways to handle them.
Our guide on how to relieve stress shares more tips you can try.
Coming in with some oldest-daughter energy here. While moving toward a healthy weight is a great thing for your overall health and well-being, there are a few safety considerations to think about in your 50s that might not have come up when you were younger.
As you increase how much movement you get in your daily routine, don’t rush into things. Your bones, muscles, and joints become weaker with age, so you may be more at risk for falls and injuries — and not recovering as quickly as you did back in the day.
With that said, a recommended exercise routine for your 50s generally looks the same as for your 20s, 30s, and 40s. So don’t be afraid to pursue the types of physical activity you enjoy.
Consider following a structured plan or working with a personal trainer if you’re new to working out or have been out of the game for a while. And seek professional advice if you need to make adjustments to suit your health needs.
Losing weight after 50 can be a challenge, even when you live a mostly healthy lifestyle. No one’s denying that. But you can make it happen.
It’s never too late to shake up your routine, build new habits, and take charge of your weight and health.
And remember, you don’t have to do it alone. Reach out to friends, family, and healthcare professionals for support along the way.
If you’re considering weight loss medication, one way to get support is by taking the free online assessment on our women’s health platform. A licensed healthcare provider will go over your answers and let you know if you’re a good candidate.
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